Coming together before Super Bowl…because safety around water is everyone’s game!

The teams are coming together…because safety around water is everyone’s game!

January 30, 2025 -- Water Safety Day will shine a spotlight on drowning prevention as New Orleans gears up to host Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome. Hosted by the NFL Wives Association Off the Field in collaboration with the national and local community partners, the half-day event will welcome 200 second through fifth-grade students from local schools to take in-water swim lessons with certified YMCA instructors alongside Olympic swimming and world record holder Cullen Jones. He is the first African American to hold a world record in the sport of swimming. To ensure these lessons extend beyond the event, each child will leave with a voucher for eight YMCA swim lessons, sponsored by POOLCORP’s SWIMPACT! program.

Water Safety Day, championed by Dr. Hagar Elgendy, VP of Off the Field, Tulane alum, and seven-time National Champion swimmer, is a testament to her passion for addressing the critical need for drowning prevention awareness and education. Through her thoughtful collaboration with strategic sponsors, this event demonstrates the powerful impact we can have when organizations come together to support a lifesaving initiative. She is the wife of former Cincinnati Bengals legendary player Cedric Peerman.

WHAT:  Water Safety Day

WHEN: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

WHERE: Reily Student Recreation Center Natatorium, Tulane University

WHO: 200 students from Bissonet Plaza Elementary in Jefferson Parish and The Good Shepherd School in Orleans Parish, YMCAcertified swim instructors, Cullen Jones (2012 Olympian), NFL Off the Field families, and representatives from the following c partners:

• Off the Field NFL Wives Association (OFL)
• SWIMPACT! powered by POOLCORP
• The YMCA
• USA Swimming Foundation
• American Heart Association
• Tulane University
• Junior League of New Orleans

VISUALS: 9:00 AM – Good Shepard School students and staff arrive at Tulane Natatorium

9:15 AM – Welcome remarks from Cullen Jones, voucher presentation on the pool deck

9:40-10:25 AM – Opportunity for B-Roll of students in the water and educational suite

9:45 AM – Bissonet Plaza students and staff arrive at Tulane Natatorium 

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:

• Hagar Elgendy, MD, Vice-President of the Off the Field NFL Wives Club
• Cullen Jones, Olympic Swimmer and world record holder
• Gordon Wadge, Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Greater New Orleans
• Taylor Oelking, YMCA Executive Director of Aquatics
• Elaine Calip, USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

About Off the Field OTF

Off The Field OTF, the official NFL Wives Association, is dedicated to fostering sisterhood among wives and significant others while serving NFL communities through philanthropic efforts. For over 20 years, OTF has empowered women, and worked to improve the lives of families. OTF has embraced safety around water as an important nationwide initiative and collaborates with other organizations in order to lift up the lives of children and empower them to be confident swimmers.

About POOLCORP

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ: POOL) is the world’s largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool and related backyard products. POOLCORP operates approximately 440 sales centers in North America, Europe, and Australia through which it distributes more than 200,000 products to roughly 125,000 wholesale customers. For more information about POOLCORP, please visit www.poolcorp.com.

About the YMCA of the USA

The Y is known as America’s swim instructor and is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,700 Ys engage 22 million men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change.

About USA Swimming Foundation

The USA Swimming Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming. Established in 2004, the Foundation works to strengthen the sport by Saving Lives, Building Champions and Impacting Communities. Whether equipping children and adults with the life-saving skill of learn-to-swim, providing financial support to our heroes on the U.S. National Team, or broadening community access to the sport, the USA Swimming Foundation aims to provide the rewarding experience of swimming to all, regardless of their ability to pay.

About the American Heart Association 

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day.